Second Sunday of Advent

by

Saturday, 16 December 2023 : 2nd Week of Advent (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we all listened to the words of the Scriptures, we are all reminded of the prophet Elijah in particular, and this is because the prophet Elijah has often been associated with St. John the Baptist in terms of their actions and ministries, that St. John the Baptist was considered either the second coming of Elijah, or having the spirit of Elijah in him, sent with the similar mission of calling God’s people to repentance and to turn themselves back towards the path of God. And especially during this time and season of Advent, it is really very important for us to realign our lives to the Lord, and renew our commitment to Him that we will once again be focused on Him in all things.

In our first reading today, we heard from the book of the prophet Sirach which is commonplace during this time of Advent, a long exhortation on the prophet Elijah, who came before Sirach and was sent to the people of Israel in the northern kingdom. If we read through the Book of Kings and the Book of Chronicles we can clearly see the kind of works and labours which Elijah had done for the sake of the Lord and His people, all the hardships and challenges that he had to endure in the face of opposition, stubbornness and rejection from the people of God. The prophet Elijah laboured for many years, enduring hardships and even threats to his life, amidst everything that he had done for God’s glory.

Eventually, the works of the prophet Elijah bore many fruits, as he led many people to turn once again towards God, as they were touched by the efforts and works of this holy man of God. Elijah performed many miracles from the Lord before the people and proved to many of them that He is indeed their Lord, God and Master, and not all those false gods and idols which they had worshipped and became astray upon throughout all that time. Elijah laboured to lead the people who had gone astray from the path of the Lord that they may find their way back to Him. He was eventually then taken up to Heaven on a flaming chariot, as witnessed by the prophet Elisha, Elijah’s successor as prophet to Israel. This made Elijah to be one of the very few of those who did not experience death, and some believed that Elijah would come again.

Then, in our Gospel passage today we heard of the Lord answering the queries of the people and His disciples who were asking Him regarding the prophet Elijah, who according to some prophecies, were meant to come again to the world to herald the coming of the Lord and His salvation. The Lord told them all that Elijah had indeed come, and this was a reference to St. John the Baptist, whom some indeed believed to be the second coming of the prophet Elijah, or having the spirit of Elijah, and the mission which the Lord had also entrusted to Elijah earlier in him. The Lord had sent Elijah to call His wayward people to return to Him, and that was the same that St. John the Baptist had been entrusted to do, to make straight the path for the Lord when He came into our midst.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, as we are all reminded of this day as we have been throughout this time and season of Advent, let us all keep our attention and focus ever more on the Lord, our every efforts and works, and our preparations and plans for the upcoming Christmas season and celebrations in particular. Each and every one of us have been called by the Lord to come to Him, just as He has done through His prophets, through Elijah, Isaiah and through His Herald, St. John the Baptist. We are called to come out from the darkness and distractions present all around us in this world, and embrace once again the light of God’s truth and ever enduring love and kindness.

The question is are we willing and ready to embrace God and His love? Too often we are distracted and kept busy by the many temptations and challenges, pleasures and allures of this world. This is why we often keep ourselves closed off against the Lord and His truth and love. He has always been kind and loving towards us, but we are distracted by our many attachments and temptations present all around us. This includes how we celebrate and rejoice in this Christmas time and season as well. We can definitely relate to how many times we see all the excesses of worldly joy and pleasures, all the festivities and merrymaking, all the marketing and sales involved during this Christmas period, all around us.

However, we often neglect and forget the Lord in this time of celebration and festivities, as our joys and commemorations tend to focus a lot more on ourselves, on our desires and the image of the much-secularised Christmas that we are all familiar with. In a sense, just as the Israelites had once fallen away from the path of the Lord and ended up in the path of wickedness, disobedience and sin, hence, in the same manner, we too have often faltered in our own lives and in how we commemorate and celebrate Christmas in general. This is why today, as we are reminded of all these things, we should really remind ourselves and strive to be truly Christ-centric in our lives and also in our Christmas celebrations and events.

May the Lord continue to guide us and strengthen us in faith, and may He empower us all so that as we enter into this one final week of time of Advent before Christmas, we may truly make good use of the time and opportunities that we have been given, to be truly committed to the Lord and to have a truly Christ-centred Christmas, remembering that Christ is the One Whom we are celebrating about, and that we may be the worthy and good bearers of His light and truth, His love and compassion to all the peoples, of all the nations. May God bless our Advent journey and our respective lives. Amen.

by

Saturday, 16 December 2023 : 2nd Week of Advent (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Matthew 17 : 10-13

At that time, the disciples of Jesus asked Him, “Why do the teachers of the Law say that Elijah must come first?”

Jesus answered, “So it is : first comes Elijah; and he will restore all things. But I tell you, Elijah has already come; and they did not recognise him; and they treated him as they pleased. And they will also make the Son of Man suffer.”

Then the disciples understood that Jesus was referring to John the Baptist.

by

Saturday, 16 December 2023 : 2nd Week of Advent (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Psalm 79 : 2ac and 3bc, 15-16, 18-19

Listen, o Shepherd of Israel, You, Who sit enthroned between the Cherubim. Stir up Your might and come to save us.

Turn again, o YHVH of hosts, look down from heaven and see; care for this vine, and protect the stock Your hand has planted.

But lay Your hand on Your instrument, on the Son of Man, Whom You make strong for Yourself. Then, we will never turn away from You; give us life, and we will call on Your Name.

by

Saturday, 16 December 2023 : 2nd Week of Advent (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Sirach 48 : 1-4, 9-11

Then came the prophet Elijah, like a fire, his words a burning torch. He brought a famine on the people and in his zealous love had them reduced in number. Speaking in the Name of the Lord he closed down the heavens, and on three occasions called down fire.

How marvellous you were, Elijah, in your wondrous deeds! Who could ever boast of being your equal? You were taken up by a whirlwind of flames in a chariot drawn by fiery horses. It was written that you should be the one to calm God’s anger in the future, before it broke out in fury, to turn the hearts of fathers to their sons and to restore the tribes of Jacob.

Happy are those who will see you and those who die in love, for we too shall live.

by

Friday, 15 December 2023 : 2nd Week of Advent (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we listened to the words of the Scriptures, we are all reminded to keep ourselves holy and worthy of God, staying away from the many temptations and persuasions of the world, all of which can lead us down the wrong path in life. Each and every one of us as Christians have been called to dedicate ourselves to the Lord with ever more commitment, focusing our lives and our whole existence upon Him. We should not allow the distractions and the waywardness of this world from turning us towards our downfall and destruction. It is important that all of us must keep in mind that each and every one of us are God’s beloved people, and as such, we should always strive to be good and holy, just as He is holy.

In our first reading passage today, we heard from the Book of the prophet Isaiah in which the prophet spoke of how everything would have turned out well for the people of God if they had trusted in Him and followed His path, instead of the fate that they had endured, the sufferings, humiliations and challenges that they had encountered because of their lack of faith and disobedience, their refusal to follow the path which the Lord had instructed and shown them, and which He has constantly reminded them through His many prophets and messengers. God wanted all of His people to know that it is in Him alone that they could find true joy, purpose and satisfaction in life, and nothing could replace Him or His truth and ways.

The people of God had grown wayward because they allowed themselves to be swayed by the temptations of sin and evil, by the allures of worldly glory and pleasures, the many attachments and distractions present all around them, in all the things which had been presented to them, and the pressures and coercions by which they were tempted to abandon God and betray Him for the pagan gods and false idols. The Lord nonetheless continued to care for all of them, sending them help and reminders along the way, despite them hardening their hearts and minds, stubbornly refusing to follow His path, and preferring instead to embrace the discordant ways and demands of the world.

Then, in our Gospel passage today, we heard of the frustrations which the Lord pointed out to all those who were gathered to listen to Him, as He told them of just how arbitrary and fickle the faith and beliefs of the people of God at that time, as they hardened their hearts and minds, and refusing to believe in the Lord, their God, and in the One Whom He had sent into their midst to save them, as they should have done. It was mentioned how many among the people refused to follow Him or His Herald, St. John the Baptist, who had come before Him, proclaiming His coming and the imminent coming of God’s Kingdom and salvation. The people thought that they knew it better, and judged both St. John the Baptist and the Lord by their own arbitrary judgment, thinking that they could not be wrong.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, hence, as we listened in those Scripture passages today, we are all reminded of all the things that can lead us down the path of ruin, the path of damnation and mistakes, because we allow worldly pleasures, temptations and persuasions, as well as our pride and ego to mislead us down the wrong path. Our pride and arrogance, our stubborn attitude and behaviours often come in between us and the Lord, as we often failed to realise just how flawed and weak we are, how small and insignificant we are amidst all the glory and power of God. This is why during this time and season of Advent, all of us are called and reminded to throw away from our hearts and minds all these shackles of sin, pride, ego and desires, all which had brought us away from God.

This Advent, let us all renew our commitment and focus in the Lord so that in all and everything that we say and do, in our every steps and moments, our actions and more, we will always be centred and focused on the Lord. Let us all remind ourselves that our lives and existence are possible all because of the Lord, His love, kindness and mercy, and due to everything that He had done for our sake. Each and every one of us whom the Lord had loved and cared for patiently, we should be grateful for everything that He had done for us, and in this time of Advent, let us especially remember everything that He had done for us, in sending unto us His own beloved Son, to be born into this world and becoming the source of our Hope and salvation.

Let us all focus our attention and commitment once again to the Lord, and align our Christmas preparations and efforts, all the things that we are preparing to do in rejoicing and celebrating through this upcoming joyful season, so that in everything we do, we will always focus all things in Christ, and rejoice with the right understanding and appreciation of what it is that we have celebrated and rejoiced for. Let us all also be the bearers of the Good News of Christ to all the people. Let us all be the good role models and examples for one another and for all those who have not yet known of the salvation of God. And let us also share the joy of Christ to everyone, beginning from ourselves so that we may indeed be the bearers of Christ’s Light to all.

May the Lord our most loving God and Creator, Whose patient and enduring love have been the reason for our joy and celebration, our hope and salvation, continued to be with us and bless us, and empower us in our journey towards Him, in our Advent commemorations and efforts. May He continue to help and lead us down the right path, and bless our Advent journey, as well as our good efforts and endeavours. Amen.

by

Friday, 15 December 2023 : 2nd Week of Advent (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Matthew 11 : 16-19

At that time, Jesus said to the people, “Now, to what can I compare the people of this day? They are like children sitting in the marketplace, about whom their companions complain : ‘We played the lute for you, but you would not dance. We sang a funeral song, but you would not cry!’”

“For John came fasting, and people said, ‘He is possessed by a demon!’ Then, the Son of Man came. He ate and drank; and people said, ‘Look at this Man : a glutton and drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ Yet, wisdom is vindicated by her works.”

by

Friday, 15 December 2023 : 2nd Week of Advent (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Psalm 1 : 1-2, 3, 4 and 6

Blessed is the man who does not go where the wicked gather, or stand in the way of sinners, or sit where the scoffers sit! Instead, he finds delight in the Law of YHVH and meditates day and night on His commandments.

He is like a tree beside a brook producing its fruit in due season, its leaves never withering. Everything he does is a success.

But it is different with the wicked. They are like chaff driven away by the wind. For YHVH knows the way of the righteous but cuts off the way of the wicked.

by

Friday, 15 December 2023 : 2nd Week of Advent (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet

Isaiah 48 : 17-19

Thus says YHVH, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel : I, YHVH, your God, teach you what is best for you; I lead you in the way that you must go. Had you paid attention to My commandments, your peace would have been like a river, your righteousness like the waves of the sea.

Your descendants would have been like the sand, and those born of your stock like its grains, their names never cut off nor blotted out from My presence.

by

Thursday, 14 December 2023 : 2nd Week of Advent, Memorial of St. John of the Cross, Priest and Doctor of the Church (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : White

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today as we continue to progress through this blessed time and season of Advent and as we listened to the words of the Sacred Scriptures, all of us are reminded more and more of the coming of our salvation in God, which He has brought into our midst through none other than Jesus Christ Himself, the Son of God, and the One Who has been prophesied and predicted to come into this world, as the Saviour of all mankind. This Advent all of us are reminded as usual of this fact, so that we may indeed remember the very reason why we even celebrate Christmas in the first place. Christmas is truly not all about the festivities, merrymaking, all the joy and the parties, the gifts and the food that we are going to have, but it is all about Christ, our Lord, and the love that God Himself has shown us through His Son.

In our first reading today, we continue to hear the reading from the prophet Isaiah, in which we are constantly being reminded yet again of God’s love and all the reassurances and promises which He has given to us all, His beloved ones, which He has also fulfilled and accomplished through the coming of His Son, Our Messiah or Saviour. The context for those words of reassurance were that God wanted to remind all of His beloved ones, that despite of their many sins, wickedness and evils, He continues to care for them and love them as usual, just as He has always done from the very beginning. What He despises from them, and hence, from all of us, is our sins and disobedience, our wickedness and evils, but not us personally. The Lord our God, is our loving God, Father and Creator, and He has always loved us all these while.

And that was why, He promised us all the path to leave the evils and darkness of this world. He opened the path to eternal life and righteousness through Jesus Christ, His own begotten Son, through Whom He has shown us a new path out of the darkness, and into His eternal Light. He has shown us all by His own examples what it truly means for us to be disciples, followers and the holy people of God, and by His own perfect obedience, He brought us all into the new assurance of eternal life, reconciling us with our loving God and Father, overcoming the sin borne out of the disobedience and unfaithfulness which our forefathers and predecessors had done, in their folly and inability to resist the many temptations and pressures to sin.

The Gospel passage today then spoke of how the Lord Jesus praised St. John the Baptist, whom the Lord had also prophesied as the one to prepare the way for the world’s Saviour. What we heard is yet again another affirmation that everything that the Lord has planned and wished to happen, had indeed come true and into its full fruition because He has always intended for us to be reconciled and reunited with Him. The Lord has sent St. John the Baptist who called many to the path of repentance, reminding them of their sins and wickedness, so that they might open their hearts and minds once again to the Lord, freeing themselves from the dominion and corruption of sin and evil which have corrupted and clouded their minds and hearts for so long, that God may lead them all once again to the path of righteousness.

That is why, brothers and sisters in Christ, today through those passages from the Sacred Scriptures, each and every one of us are reminded that we should always hold onto the faith which we have in the Lord, and remain focused on Him throughout our lives. And in particular, with regards of our preparations for Christmas and all the observances we made during this time and season of Advent, we should always remain firmly focused on the Lord and not be easily distracted and swayed by the many temptations present all around us, and be distracted by all the very prominent and loud celebrations and festivities, all the Christmas shopping, merrymaking and all the parties that are bereft and lacking of the true focus and attention on Christ, the One in Whom we ought to be celebrating and be rejoicing about.

We should not allow these temptations and worldly attachments, pleasures and all other things to dissuade and tempt us away from the path of righteousness and virtue in God. As Christians, each and every one of us should always be committed to the Lord, and we should always be Christ-like in all of our actions, words and deeds, in our every interactions and works, in our every good efforts and endeavours. This time and season of Advent is truly a good time for us to reconnect ourselves with the Lord, and to reevaluate our lives thus far, especially if we have allowed our many concerns and desires in life to interfere with our Christian faith and obligations. We should not allow all those distractions from keeping us away from the path of God’s truth, and we should also seek inspiration and strength from our holy predecessors, and their examples.

Today, the Church celebrates the Feast of St. John of the Cross, a renowned saint and holy man of God, who was one of the founders of the Discalced Carmelites order. St. John of the Cross was born into a family of Jewish Christian convert in the area near Avila in Spain, and he had a difficult early life due to having lost his father early on. St. John of the Cross eventually became a priest and while initially he wanted to join the Carthusians, an encounter with St. Teresa of Avila, with whom he would become the co-founders of the Discalced Carmelites, this led to St. John of the Cross helping St. Teresa of Avila in reforming the Carmelites and rediscovering their ancient discipline, rule and way of the Carmelites which had been distorted and corrupted over the centuries.

St. John of the Cross and St. Teresa of Avila worked in tandem to reform the Carmelites and they were joined by many who were interested and called to follow the Lord in the way that both these holy saints had done. However, they did not have it easy, as tensions with the original Carmelites as well as with the other religious orders brought about quite a lot of hardships and challenges, as they encountered even moments when the Discalced Carmelites were almost disbanded by the pressure and the order of those who were opposed of the works of St. John of the Cross and St. Teresa of Avila. Nonetheless, they remained firm in their conviction and dedication, in doing whatever they could to glorify God by their lives and works.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, let us all therefore be inspired by the good examples set by St. John of the Cross and the many other holy men and women of God who have gone before us. Let their examples be our inspiration and strength that we may draw ever closer to God and be ever more courageous in how we continue to live our lives worthily in God’s Presence, and in how we continue to labour to prepare ourselves well for the upcoming celebration of Christmas. May God be with us always, and may He bless us all in our every good efforts and endeavours, our Advent journey and our lives. Amen.

by

Thursday, 14 December 2023 : 2nd Week of Advent, Memorial of St. John of the Cross, Priest and Doctor of the Church (Gospel Reading)

Liturgical Colour : White

Matthew 11 : 11-15

At that time, Jesus said to the people, “I tell you this : no one greater than John the Baptist has arisen from among sons of women; and yet, the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven is something to be conquered; and violent men seize it.”

“Up to the time of John, there was only prophesy : all the prophets and the Law. And if you believe Me, John is indeed that Elijah, whose coming was predicted. Let anyone with ears listen!”